Explore Shakespeares presentation of Claudius Essay Example

Explore Shakespeares presentation of Claudius Essay Example Explore Shakespeares presentation of Claudius Paper Explore Shakespeares presentation of Claudius Paper Claudius is not presented as a typical villain. As always, Shakespeares characters are complex with many facets to their personality. Claudius is not a conventional villain as he has redeeming qualities, which make it impossible to categorise him as merely a damned, smiling villain. However, he certainly has been condemned to hell according to a Jacobean audience as he has potentially broken three of the Ten Commandments: thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not kill and thou shalt not commit adultery. By breaking the divine law, he is definitely damned and corrupt from the start, as he has killed his own brother for his crown and wife. It is shocking he committed such deeds, as the threat of hell and eternal damnation was more sharply felt in the Jacobean era, than it is today. This shows extreme greed, lust for power, and no concern for others, which are typical qualities of villains. However, what sets him apart from archetypal villains is that he has a conscience. Most villains are lacking in this and this makes Claudius a man of contradictions. In my essay I will investigate the complexities of Claudiuss character and look at how Shakespeare has presented him to prove he is more than a damned, smiling villain. Shakespeare presents the image of Claudius being a damned, smiling villain through Hamlet. As Hamlet may be mad, we cannot be sure whether his judgement can be trusted. A madmans view may not be credible, and Shakespeare always leaves an element of doubt over all his characters. We do not know if Hamlet really is mad, and therefore his view of Claudius is biased and unreliable. This essay will consider how Claudius is presented by Shakespeare and analyse his actions to form an opinion of whether or not he is a damned, smiling villain. Claudius is not morally upright, as is immediately evident from Act I: Scene II our sometime sister, now our queen. A Jacobean audience would consider marrying your brothers wife as incest. He shows lack of consideration and apparent indifference to his brothers death by marrying her with Oh most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets. By using the word Oh, Hamlet is appealing to the divine and imploring to the audience. This reminds us of the religious implications of Claudiuss actions and proves that he is indeed damned. Claudius proves to have quite a selfish and predatory nature, wisest sorrow think on him, together with remembrance of ourselves. At a time like this, he encourages his nation to think of themselves. Another example of his selfishness is at the end of the play in Act VI: Scene II. He doesnt do very much to prevent Gertrude from drinking the poisoned glass of wine, as he cannot admit his crime to save her life. This is extremely inconsiderate and selfish. He is supposedly in love with her, but he loves himself more. He shares qualities with the Devil, as the Devil is considered to make alliances with weak people with the promise of enjoyment and pleasure. However, in the end, the devil is only interested in hurting God through you, and brings about your downfall, according to a Jacobean audience. Claudius is similar to the devil, as he uses Gertrude to satisfy his lust, and gain the crown. If he loved her, he would sacrifice all his gained power and reputation to save her life. Claudius is an extremely ambiguous character, and he is full of contradictions. This is evident immediately in the play, as he is caught between two emotions, mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage. There is an ambivalent feeling with Claudius as you cannot tell if he is happy or sad. However, these paradoxes do not cast him as a villain, as it is possible to be happy and sad simultaneously. He contradicts himself a lot, and this keeps us guessing whether he is a villain or not, defeated joy. This could show he is the type who is insensitive to other peoples sadness, and only considers himself and his own happiness. However, as it is possible to be happy and sad at the same time, it does not necessarily make him a villain for feeling like that. He has a predatory nature as he moved in to become king as soon as his brother died, whilst Hamlet was abroad and unable to defend his position. However, the court wanted him to become king and this proves he has redeeming qualities, your better wisdoms, which have freely gone with this affair along. He did not have to seize power, he was asked by the people to become king, so he cannot be blamed for giving the people inadequate time to mourn the previous king as they wished for Claudius to rule them. This shows that he must have some qualities that make a good king, such as experience, leadership qualities, and his expertise must have shone out to the people. The King is patriotic, lets drink to Denmark. As he is the state, he must be patriotic. There is a symbiosis between the King and Denmark: they are one, our dear brothers death. With the use of the word our, it shows how he regards himself as the state. He asserts himself as King and this makes him popular. He is a seasoned warrior and very experienced. He makes a good king practically, but not morally, to gather so much as from occasion you may glean, whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus. He is very fraudulent as he employs spies on his son. He is a wise, shrewd politician as he averts war with Norway. He is level headed as he doesnt rush into battle straight away to prove his leadership qualities. This could, however, be interpreted as cowardice which is a villains trait. He is an extremely good orator and a talented diplomat which enables him to deal with public relations effectively, giving to you no further personal power to business with the king, more than the scope of these dilated articles allow. He deals with the threat of war extremely effectively as he does his injudicious marriage to Gertrude. However, his talents are lost on Hamlet, who is set against him, no more like my father than I to Hercules. Another trait which makes us suspect he is a villain is that he has trouble trusting people, as he judges them by his own standards. Polonius is his only confidante. He is crafty, sly and devious as he uses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet. He gets other people to do his dirty work for him. He also uses Laertes to eliminate Hamlet without involving himself and getting blood on his hands. He is very manipulative and clever in a cunning way. He is very cool, calm and collected, which makes his reaction to the play all the more dramatic, as it is unlike him. The performance traps Claudius into admitting his guilty conscience, Give me some light. Away! he abruptly leaves the play calling for light, and a fiction discovers the truth of the ghosts story. He is a man of many contradictions, as running from the play and betraying his emotions so easily is uncharacteristic of him. His craftiness is contradicted by his honesty during the prayer scene in Act III: Scene III. He is honest enough to admit he has committed a crime and struggle with his conscience, my stronger guilt defeats my strong intent. He is a man of conflict; God and the Devil are struggling with his soul. Unlike customary villains, he feels remorseful and he has a conscience, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven. The irony involved in the prayer scene is that Claudius realises he is guilty of vast amounts of sin, but he cannot repent. The villain in him prevails and he is not prepared to give up the life he acquired by committing his crimes, my crown, my own ambition, and my queen. May one be pardoned and retain thoffence? This shows he wants life the easy way, he is not prepared to make sacrifices, which is selfish and narrow minded, qualities possessed by a villain. Only his fear drove him to pray, as Hamlets play made him realise the adversity of his crime. He had chosen to ignore the consequences of murder beforehand, but now he can no longer ignore it. Claudius is an extremely contradictory character. It is almost as if he is schizophrenic. First, and foremost, he was asked by the people to become king, and yet he is corrupt. He feels no qualms about employing spies, committing incest and murder. However, he has qualities which make him a popular choice as king. He can deal with a crisis effectively as he remains calm and level headed. He has the appearance of action, as he is a soldier, but he physically does little. He does not stab King Hamlet, like a man of action, but did pour the leperous distilment this also shows cleverness. However, cleverness is not necessarily a good thing. It can be used in a sly and cunning way, to help you manipulate people, they find us touched, we will our kingdom give, our crown, our life but if not, b you content to lend your patience to us, and we shall jointly labour with your soul to give it due content. He faced down Laertes when he tried to attack him for Poloniuss murder. As well as talking him out of stabbing him, he managed to use him and turn the situation around to his own advantage. This is true cunning and adeptness. He manipulates Laertes and yet he is a talented diplomat. I feel that Claudius has virtuous and redeeming qualities as well as traits possessed by damned, smiling villains. I believe Claudius is more than that, as he has proved he is an able and capable ruler. However, he is unable to repent and that is his downfall. He is a talented diplomat, which he uses to his advantage to manipulate people. This is ironic as he was asked to be king due to his redeeming qualities, yet he uses he good qualities in unscrupulous ways. There are other facets to Claudiuss character as he is very complex. He makes a good King practically, not morally as he was extremely efficient when the Fortinbras crisis arose, and talking down Laertes from his rage. This supports the view that Claudius is a potentially good King. It is too simplistic to view him as a damned, smiling villain. We feel almost sympathetic towards him whilst he is repenting, as he is genuinely remorseful. However, he is too greedy to sacrifice anything, which will bring about his downfall. He is set apart from other villains as he has a conscience. He is not cold blooded and calculating which is usually the case. He betrays emotions and shows hes human. Some would agree that although he has redeeming qualities, he is essentially a bad person and cannot be trusted, although he is capable of ruling a country. I believe that there is more bad than good in him and the villain prevails in his split personality.

Charlemagne the King of the Franks and Lombards

Charlemagne the King of the Franks and Lombards Charlemagne was also known as: Charles I, Charles the Great (in French, Charlemagne; in German, Karl der Grosse; in Latin, Carolus Magnus) Charlemagnes titles included: King of the Franks, King of the Lombards; also generally considered the first Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne was noted for: Consolidating a large portion of Europe under his rule, promoting learning, and instituting innovative administrative concepts. Occupations: Military LeaderKing Emperor Places of Residence and Influence: EuropeFrance Important Dates: Born: April 2, c. 742Crowned Emperor: Dec. 25, 800Died: Jan. 28, 814 Quote Attributed to Charlemagne: To have another language is to possess a second soul. About Charlemagne: Charlemagne was the grandson of Charles Martel and the son of Pippin III. When Pippin died, the kingdom was divided between Charlemagne and his brother Carloman. King Charlemagne proved himself a capable leader from early on, but his brother was less so, and there was some friction between them until Carlomans death in 771. Once King, Charlemagne had sole rule of the government of Francia, he expanded his territory through conquest. He conquered the Lombards in northern Italy, acquired Bavaria, and campaigned in Spain and Hungary. Charlemagne used harsh measures in subduing the Saxons and virtually exterminating the Avars. Though he had essentially amassed an empire, he did not style himself emperor, but called himself the King of the Franks and Lombards. King Charlemagne was an able administrator, and he delegated authority over his conquered provinces to Frankish nobles. At the same time, he recognized the diverse ethnic groups he had brought together under his dominion, and allowed each to retain its own local laws. To ensure justice, Charlemagne had these laws set down in writing and strictly enforced. He also issued capitularies that applied to all citizens. Charlemagne kept an eye on events in his empire through the use of missi dominici, representatives who acted with his authority. Though never able to master reading and writing himself, Charlemagne was an enthusiastic patron of learning. He attracted noted scholars to his court, including Alcuin, who became his private tutor, and Einhard, who would be his biographer. Charlemagne reformed the palace school and set up monastic schools throughout the empire. The monasteries he sponsored preserved and copied ancient books. The flowering of learning under Charlemagnes patronage has come to be known as the Carolingian Renaissance. In 800, Charlemagne came to the aid of Pope Leo III, who had been attacked in the streets of Rome. He went to Rome to restore order and, after Leo purged himself of the charges against him, he was unexpectedly crowned emperor. Charlemagne wasnt pleased with this development, because it established the precedent of papal ascendancy over secular leadership, but though he still often referred to himself as a king he now also styled himself Emperor, as well. There is some disagreement as to whether or not Charlemagne was really the first Holy Roman Emperor. Although he did not use any title that directly translates as such, he did use the title imperator Romanum (emperor of Rome) and in some correspondence styled himself deo coronatus (Crowned by God), as per his coronation by the pope. This appears to be enough for most scholars to allow Charlemagnes hold on the title to stand, especially since Otto I, whose reign is generally considered to be the true beginning of the Holy Roman Empire, never used the title either. The territory Charlemagne governed is not considered the Holy Roman Empire but is instead named the Carolingian Empire after him. It would later form the basis of the territory scholars would call the Holy Roman Empire, although that term (in Latin, sacrum Romanum imperium) was also seldom in use during the Middle Ages, and never used at all until the mid-thirteenth century. All pedantry aside, Charlemagnes achievements stand among the most significant of the early Middle Ages, and although the empire he built would not long outlast his son Louis I, his consolidation of lands marked a watershed in the development of Europe. Charlemagne died in January, 814.

Evaluating human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Evaluating human resource management - Essay Example A large number of firms and organizations are offering flexible working arrangements for their employees, as a strategy to retain them by satisfying them to an extent. These arrangements help the employee in maintaining balance life between career and family, this way it motivates the employees to give productive results by working in an efficient manner. Although the advantages derived from flexible working arrangement are considerable, still due to a large number of reasons it is not carried out in an efficient manner in the firms. In this paper, we address the benefits derived by firms by opting flexible working arrangements, the issues faced by them and the various methods by which the obstacles can be overcome. The data was derived upon after referring to surveys which were done in the past and also based on the results of the questionnaire which was filled in by the professional employees.The term ‘human resourcing’ is used to describe a set of principles through which the strategic possibilities of an organization’s workforce and employment structure is evaluated. The methodologies of human resourcing derive from two concerns ( Zeytinoglu,1999) :1. The auditing of current human resources in relation to possible future product/ service and labor market scenarios.2. The promotion and maintenance of optimal human resource performance through the management of work patterns and organization structures.... This approach rested on three sequential steps (Catalyst,1997): 1. An estimation of the organization's future manpower needs in terms of numbers andskill composition. 2. An analysis of labor flows into, within and out of the organization, and the ability ofrelevant labor markets to supply existing or future demands. 3. The identification of gaps between supply and demand and the development ofpolicies to 'close' these. LITERATURE REVIEW The need to consider strategic planning for human resources has been recognized in the HR literature over the last couple of decades and more recently by chief executives and senior HR specialists. Various external factors - such as move towards globalization, changing economic trends, changes in the demographic-make up of the labor force and the shortage of key skills, knowledge and experience - have contributed to the urgency with which the subject is now debated. Also there is a realization between organizations of the changing and more 'flexible' nature of the workforce and their need to combine diverse careers with their personal lives. In essence manpower planning has been associated with a more tactical approach of getting the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. The definition of 'right' is not made in the literature, but should be taken to mean 'what is right for a particular organization'. Part of the difficulty with this rationale is its static nature, where people are seen as a cost to the organization (Walsh, 1999) instead of an investment. The focus of manpower planning is on management and control. It usually includes various

Abuse of adult learning disability in residential homes Essay

Abuse of adult learning disability in residential homes - Essay Example The term Learning disability is used to address those people who function at an intellectual level which is considerably lower that that of the average people in the community (Thomas and Woods, 2003, p. 11). Learning disabilities is the general phrase that is used to refer to a varied group of disorders marked by considerable difficulties in the acquirement and use of listening, verbal communication, reading, writing, interpretation, or mathematical abilities. These disorders are inherent to the individual, supposed to be owing to central nervous system dysfunction, and may crop up across the life span. Difficulties in self-regulatory actions, social awareness, and social relations may take place along with learning disabilities, however, these by themselves do not form a learning disability. While learning disabilities may transpire in tandem with other handicapping disorders such as sensory damage, mental retardation, social and emotive disorders or with environmental influences ( like cultural differences, inadequate or inappropriate instruction, psychogenic issues), it is however not the consequence of those conditions or effects. Simply stated, learning disability is a broader expression that encompasses a wide and varied group of syndromes relating to information processing, together with disorders in one or more of the necessary processes involved in comprehending or making use of spoken or written language (Corley and Taymans, 2002, p. 45-46). Adults with learning disabilities are liable to experience problems that considerably affect their academic accomplishments and their lives. Learning disability is often synonymously used with Intellectual Disability (Thomas and Woods, 2003, p. 18). Adults having learning difficulties need a variety of skills and capabilities to deal with their disabilities in edification, training and employment situations. Appropriate assessment is considered as the first step for applying any other strategies and

The Argument For Stricter Gun Control Laws Essay Example for Free

The Argument For Stricter Gun Control Laws Essay I am writing a persuasive argument in favor of stricter gun control laws. I am very passionate about this topic because the use of firearms in the wrong hands is a deadly prophecy. It can be in the form of children getting a hold of a gun and hurting themselves or others, an adult with violent propensities mishandling a weapon, or someone who wants the use of a firearm in aiding suicide. When one looks at the increased incident of injury to children, homicide, and suicide, it is clear there is a need for stricter gun control laws. This paper argues that firearms continue to play a dominant role in violence both criminal and accidental regardless of laws such as the five-day waiting period and the Brady Law. I will show how easier access to guns, rather than preventing crime, creates more of it through the use of examples and statistics Those whom are opposed to gun control laws do not like to admit there is a link between access to guns and violence. The NRA says guns dont kill people, people kill people. They will claim that the right to bear arms for se lf-defense and civil rights would be diminished. However, this view is only one sided and it fails to address the link between the ownership of guns and the violence that occurs because of it. Almost everyday we can open up a newspaper or turn on a national news broadcast on the television and discover a new case of someone being killed by the use of a gun. Perhaps it was a child whom had access to his/her parents gun they keep in the house for self defensive purposes, an adult whom was an innocent bystander during a workplace massacre or robbery, a shooting at a school by a disturbed kid, or a domestic dispute turned deadly. Unfortunately, it is rare that a day goes by that we do not hear about one of the above events. Whatever the case may be, it is apparent that too many people have access to firearms and that access must be restricted. The Brady Campaign is one that enforces gun control laws, elects pro gun control public officials, and informs the public about gun violence. It was enacted in 1994 and because of it, all 50 states must do background checks on anyone wishing to purchase a firearm. While this has helped quell some gun violence that may have occurred otherwise, there are still too many who are falling through the cracks. These background checks are targeting the wrong people and criminals are still able to obtain guns from illegal sources. Take a look at the Virginia Tech massacre last spring. This reopened the legislative debate over gun control that was never resolved from the Columbine high school shootings eight years earlier. Many wonder how Cho-Seung Hui was able to get his hands on powerful automatic weaponry that killed thirty two of his classmates. This proves that the background checks performed are insufficient and need to be more thorough. More than fifty survivors and family members of this tragedy signed a letter to Congress with one simple message- finish work on legislation that could prevent future tragedies. The notion of more complete background checks leads me to another issue that is the abolition of handguns. More handguns are used in criminal acts than any other type of firearm. The FBI reports that more than 60 percent of murders are caused by guns and handguns account for 70 percent of these. Lets look at some scenarios that stem from the lack of access to handguns: Sure, anyone with a penchant for killing could pull out a knife or a baseball bat but the victim has much better chance of survival. The likelihood of injury and not death are much greater as the victim may be able to get away. The next scenario are home burglaries. Most of these occur with the occupants are out of the house so the need for a gun inside the home is unnecessary. If there is a gun inside of the home, the perpetrator will confisca te it along with other valuables, thus placing it in the hands of criminal for future misuse. Approximately 40 percent of handguns used in crimes are stolen out of homes of law abiding citizens whom had guns for their own protection. If handgun manufacturers were stringently restricted and only allowed to sell to police, our environment would be much safer. Fewer criminals would have access to them if the sale of handguns to ordinary citizens were outlawed. They could not obtain them by way of stealing and their illegal underground network would be hampered. If this were to occur, those dangerous people would not have the opportunity to slip through the cracks and get a hold of a weapon. The end result would be fewer violent crimes and fewer injuries and/or deaths related to these crimes. Many states in the United States have right to carry laws that allow citizens to carry concealed handguns if they are qualified. Qualification includes a clean criminal history, age restrictions, and completing a firearms safety course. In 1986 only nine states had that law and as of 1998, 31 states have right-to-carry laws. Half of the citizens of the U.S. live in those states. This will engender only more violence as journalis t Philip Cook states if you introduce a gun into a violent encounter, it increases the chances that someone will die. In the end, the notion of violence in self-defense will only create more violence. It is for that reason that not only should handguns themselves be eradicated from the hands of the general public, but they should never be allowed to carry out in public. It is a fact that the Constitution guarantees us the right to bear arms. The Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights states: A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Our founding fathers who authored the Constitution were certainly aware of the British efforts to disarm the colonists and believed a militia was necessary to defend democracy. However, in the present day, owners of handguns are not members of a militia attempting to fight a tyrannical power or oppression. Any type of gun that can be concealed should be abolished from the hands of ordinary citizens and only placed in the hands of the men and women of our police force whom are trained professionals. This will de-emphasize the use of another slogan If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. It simply will not be the case as long as only those who are legitimate protectors of society are the only people who have access to them. WORKS CITED Agresti, James D. Gun Control. Just Facts Foundation. 10 June 1999. 20 October 2007. www.justfacts.com. Desuka, Nan. Why Handguns Must Be Outlawed.. Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Boston: Bedford, 1993. Cassidy, J. Warren. The Case For Firearms. Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Boston: Bedford, 1993. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Families of Virginia Tech Victims and Survivors Call on U.S. Senate to Strengthen Brady Background Checks. 21 October 2007. www.handguncontrol.org

A Study Of Wordsworths Poetry Essays -- essays research papers

A Study of Wordsworth's Poetry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wordsworth poetry derives its strength from the passion with which he views nature. Wordsworth has grown tired of the world mankind has created, and turns to nature for contentment. In his poems, Wordsworth associates freedom of emotions with natural things. Each aspect of nature holds a different meaning for Wordsworth. 'The beauty of morning; silent, bare' (5:WB*)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A main source of interest for Wordsworth is the absence of an unnatural presence, such as a city. In his sonnet, 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802', Wordsworth views London at the break of dawn, admiring the serenity and artistic impact of the scenery. 'A sight so touching in its majesty;' (4:WB) He finds it an almost spiritual experience by simply observing the stillness of morning. 'Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;' (13:WB)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Just as Wordsworth finds fulfillment in nature, he also finds disgust in the world's neglect of nature. His sonnet, 'The World Is Too Much with Us' deals primarily with his dissatisfaction with the world.Wordsworth criticizes mankind for misdirecting its abilities. 'Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers' (2:TW) Wordsworth also hopes that the world would find more of itself in nature, similar to his desire for his sister in his poem, 'Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey', to gain an interest in nature. 'For this, for everythin...

Changing Lives Essay

I have always viewed life differently. There were times when people would act differently towards me, for I acted maturely for my age. Oftentimes, I was vocal about how I wanted to finish my education so that I would be able to fulfill my dreams further. For everyone’s benefit, I would like to pursue a degree in Biology. At a young age, my mother exposed me to the real world. She was a nurse in one of the hospitals, and most of the time she would cater to the needs of patients. Like any curious child, I would ask her questions about her profession, making me more inclined into the field of medicine as I grew older. I could definitely say that my mother was my driving force in my dream of becoming a physician someday. My mother would consistently teach me about medicine and the first aid that I need, in the event that I need help. In school, I always showed my determination and perseverance to succeed in life. I would always give my best, even in the smallest requirement deemed from students. As much as possible, I wanted things to go as planned. Hard work and dedication were not the only factors that I took in mind. I was guided by my prayers and my will to be of service to others. In this manner, I wanted to make sure that everything was in proper order and that I am not stepping nor hurting anyone in the process. I remember the many times that my mother brought me to work with her. Even at a young age, she helped satisfy my curiosity by allowing me to assist in her work. In high school, my mother finally allowed me to volunteer in their hospital, especially in catering to the needs of patients. This kind of exposure made me more determined than ever to be of service to those in need as a physician. My life was never a perfect one. Although my mind was set into becoming a successful physician, there were certain things in life that led to this decision. My mother was of Mexican-American lineage; and Mexico was where she finished her education. In her attempt to bring herself to grater heights, she moved to the United States. The hardships that she endured when she was still starting were difficult to bear. However, she disregarded all of these and went on to fulfill her dream. Now, she is a nurse and earning a stable job in the United States. Like my mother, I was inspired to work hard and bridge gaps by making it big in the United States. The kind of education that the University of California would give me would come to my advantage in my attempt to attend medical school. I learned that the institution has produced numerous talents that have been successful in their chosen field, and making a difference in the lives of others. Like them, I would want to serve as an inspiration and be able to break barriers in the field of medicine. I would use the training and the knowledge that your school would give me to make further researches that could be used in the advancements and upheaval of society. I also want to inspire others from the medical field to render service from their heart, and not just because of the paycheck that may be receive. I know that the experiences that I had in life were not enough for me to be accepted in your university. Like the other students who have bore witness to the exemplary performance of this institution, I would do my best to live up to the Mission-Vision, which is summed up in making it big and helping others. As one of the students, all I can offer is my dedication and will to make a difference in society. I am one step forward in reaching my goals in life – and it starts with my acceptance at the University of California.

The Difference Between Globalization and Regionalism

Ironically, as society drifts towards globalization, regionalism also seems to take place in almost every corner of the globe. In fact, most countries in the world, on all continents, are members of regional trade agreements through either customs unions, free trade areas, or other preferential arrangements. Over 200 regional trade agreements (RTAs) exists and have been notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and over 150 of those agreements are in force. Most of these agreements have been concluded in the past ten years and cover mainly trades in goods or services, or a combination of both. To further complicate the issue of RTAs, many countries are members of several agreements; oftentimes these multiple agreements have differing rules. Europe seems to be taking the lead in regards to RTAs with sixty percent of the notified RTAs in force at the end of 2000 whereas developing countries only account for about fifteen percent of the total RTAs in 2000. The question that arises is whether the growth of regional groups helps or hinders the development of multilateral trading systems. Many countries are trying to balance between global and regional trade organizations. To understand the relative advantages of regional versus global organizations you must consider why international organizations are created. According to Yale University†s Bruce Russett, some organizations have single or multiple purposes, however, according to Russett, all international trade organizations have these purposes or functions. First, to secure peace among their members; second, to provide for external security vis-a-vis other states; third, to carry out a variety of economic-related tasks, such as development, managing or promoting interdependence; fourth, to address problems of environmental protection, and lastly, to secure human rights. These purposes or functions are normally carried out by a wide range of international organizations, including international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). Many scholars feel that the United Nations serves three distinct purposes, security against violence, economic security, and to promote human rights. It is the second purpose of the UN, economic security, which ties into regional and global economic organizations. The UNs economic security is, no doubt, a global and not a regional solution. It is the Bretton Woods institutions of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the WTO along with the UN Development Program that the UN uses to rebuild economies and develop poor and underdeveloped countries. These institutions have been concerned with promoting economic interdependence, reducing poverty, and stimulating economic development. Because of these functions, these global institutions have underpinned economic interdependence and have become major advocates for the spread of free markets. The problem is that as the UN and these aforementioned organizations propagate free trade and globalization, many regions feel they are losing there autonomy and are looking towards more regional agreements, hence the move towards regionalism in the 1990s. There are two basic schools of thought in regards to the relationship between multilateral (globalization) and regional trading arrangements. According to Bhagwati and Panagariya, those who advocate the total reliance on the multilateral economic process express three main concerns against regional economics. These reasons are: First, regional agreements divert trade by creating preferential treatment for member countries vis-a-vis nonmembers, the term for this used by anti regionalism critics is preferential trade agreements (PTAs). Second, critics argue that countries may lose interest in the multilateral system when they engage actively in regional initiatives; they feel that regionalism will stall and even threaten global trading. Third, regional trading agreements may contribute to political and even military clashes among nations, this though is the extreme. Still and all, contemporary critics of regionalism do worry that extensive and regional ties may lead to conflicts that range beyond economics to broader areas of international relations. The champions of regionalism address and counter each one of the aforementioned issues. C. Fred Bergsten nicely sums up the points that counter the critics of regionalism. Bergsten lists these three opposite views on the issues presented by the critics of regionalism: First, regional arrangements promote freer trade and multilateralism in at least two areas, trade creation has generally exceeded trade diversion and regionalism contribute to both internal and international dynamics that enhance rather than reduce the prospects for global liberalization. Second, regionalism oftentimes has important demonstration effects; that is to say, that regional initiatives can accustom officials, governments, and nations to the liberalization process and increase the probability that they will subsequently move on to similar multilateral actions. Lastly, regionalism has had positive rather then negative political effects; the European Union (EU), because of economic interdependence, is unlikely to see any serious conflicts between the member states. As the last two paragraphs show, it is impossible to decisively resolve the regionalism versus multilateralism issue. Most analysis of free trade agreements (FTAs) conclude that trade creation has dominated trade diversion but that conclusion is not without foolproof results and the future cannot guarantee that regional arrangements will have similarly benign results. However, most economic scholars agree that regional and global liberalization have proceeded together and have tended to reinforce each other; the US would be a good example of this, the US has continued to provide global leadership for multilateral liberalization while simultaneously pursuing it†s regional initiatives. In the end, the evidence suggests that the interactions have been largely positive but this conclusion is based on judgmental rather then definitive results. The only irrefutable conclusion is that the interrelationship between regionalism and globalism depends on the management of the process by the key countries involved. If those countries seek constructive synergism between regionalism and globalism, then the historical record shows that that synergism can be achieved. If those countries wish to pursue either regionalism or globalism at the expense of the other, then the outcome could be different. What has evolved is a term called â€Å"open regionalism,† open regionalism represents an effort to resolve one of the central problems of global trade policies; how to achieve compatibility between the explosion of regional trading agreements erupting around the world and the global trading system as embodied in the WTO. The â€Å"open regionalism† concept seeks to assure that regional agreements will in practice be building blocks for further global liberalization rather then stumbling blocks that deter progress. â€Å"Open regionalism† has been adopted by the three largest economies in the world, the United States (US), Japan, and China, when those economies established an international trade organization, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). According to Bergsten, APEC is the largest regional trade organization in the world and is potentially the most far-reaching trade agreement in history, therefore, APEC is a major factor in the world trading system and its embrace of â€Å"open regionalism† has propelled this concept into the global marketplace. The concept of â€Å"open regionalism† represents an effort to achieve the best of regionalism and globalism, the benefits of regional liberalization, of which even the critics acknowledge, without jeopardizing the continued vitality of the multilateral system. Proponents of open regionalism view it as a device through which regionalism can be employed to accelerate the progress towards global liberalization and rule making. Ross Garnaut gives five possible definitions of â€Å"open regionalism† and these can be implemented simultaneously as well as independently, the five definitions that Garnaut gives are: One, â€Å"open regionalism† has open membership in the regional arrangement. Any country that indicates a credible willingness to accept the rules of the institution would be invited to join. Second, the most favored nation (MFN) treatment concept would be utilized; trade liberalization would be extended unconditionally to all of the members† trading partners. Third, conditional MFNs would be instituted to counter the unconditional MFNs mentioned in the second definition. Outsiders would accept offers from regional trade organizations in order to avoid being discriminated against by countries that account for half the world†s economy. Fourth, regional organizations will continue reducing their barriers on a global basis while pursuing their regional goals. Continuing the practice of unilateral liberalization and multilateral negotiations in the WTO would do this; both approaches avoid creating a new discrimination and could be viewed as faithful renditions of â€Å"open regionalism. † Finally, trade facilitation through non-tariff and non-border reforms. Such initiatives would be narrowly focused, though still valuable in enhancing trade, such as customs harmonization and mutual recognition of product standards. Economic regionalism and globalism can co-exist, in fact, as can be seen with the US, a state can practice both and flourish. Most countries will accept the idea of â€Å"open regionalism† and will want to promote liberalization in both their region and globally, â€Å"open regionalism† allows those states to do this. These countries must indicate publicly both their regional liberalization program and their willingness to extend that liberalization to all members of global organizations, such as the WTO, on a reciprocal basis. Such a strategy is feasible, as noted earlier, over sixty percent of world trade already takes place within regional arrangements that have either achieved free trade, are getting close to that position, or have committed to do so. The advantage of overcoming current preferential discrimination offered to MFNs would be enticing enough to convince most countries to take the additional step of freeing trade with all partners rather then a selected few while still maintaining regional ties, this is exactly what â€Å"open regionalism† does.

advertising agency essays

advertising agency essays Advertising agency is a business that assists advertisers in all stages of the advertising process from account management and planning to message creation, media planning, and research (Bergh Advertising services can be defined as packages of activities that are offered to other companies and which concern the planning, production and or delivery of advertising. Advertising services are bought and designed to improve the purchasing companys performance and well-being (Wilson, 1982). Advertising is expected to influence the attitudes, intentions and behaviour of the clients customers and thus increase sales and contribute to the growth of the client company. The core of any service is linked to the benefit it offers to the buyers. Therefore in buying advertising services, companies are purchasing knowledge and creativity embodied in individual people. Creativity is the heart and soul of advertising services and consequently a vital resource in every business relationship (Halinen, p.28). The following are the characteristics of advertising agency: The advertising services acts, planning, production and delivery of advertising are all essentially intangible activities, despite the fact that the knowledge and creativity ...

44 Resume Writing Tips

44 Resume Writing Tips 44 Resume Writing Tips 44 Resume Writing Tips By Daniel Scocco Having a solid and effective resume can greatly improve your chances of landing that dream job. That is beyond discussion. How does one make sure that his resume is top notch and bullet proof, however? There are several websites with tips around the web, but most bring just a handful of them. We wanted to put them all together in a single place, and that is what you will find below: 44 resume writing tips. 1. Know the purpose of your resume Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to land a job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece that makes them look like desperate job hunters. The objective of your resume is to land an interview, and the interview will land you the job (hopefully!). 2. Back up your qualities and strengths Instead of creating a long (and boring) list with all your qualities (e.g., disciplined, creative, problem solver) try to connect them with real life and work experiences. In other words, you need to back these qualities and strengths up, else it will appear that you are just trying to inflate things. 3. Make sure to use the right keywords Most companies (even smaller ones) are already using digital databases to search for candidates. This means that the HR department will run search queries based on specific keywords. Guess what, if your resume doesnt have the keywords related to the job you are applying for, you will be out even before the game starts. These keywords will usually be nouns. Check the job description and related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for. You can read more about resume keywords on the article Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resumes Effectiveness. 4. Use effective titles Like it or not, employers will usually make a judgment about your resume in 5 seconds. Under this time frame the most important aspect will be the titles that you listed on the resume, so make sure they grab the attention. Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences. For example: Bad title: Accounting Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping 5. Proofread it twice It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading your resume. One small typo and your chances of getting hired could slip. Proofreading it once is not enough, so do it twice, three times or as many as necessary. If you dont know how to proofread effectively, here are 8 tips that you can use, or use a grammar checker. 6. Use bullet points No employer will have the time (or patience) to read long paragraphs of text. Make sure, therefore, to use bullet points and short sentences to describe your experiences, educational background and professional objectives. 7. Where are you going? Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea of where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. You dont need to have a special section devoted to your professional objectives, but overall the resume must communicate it. The question of whether or not to highlight your career objectives on the resume is a polemic one among HR managers, so go with your feeling. If you decide to list them, make sure they are not generic. 8. Put the most important information first This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume, as well as to the individual sections. Most of the times your previous work experience will be the most important part of the resume, so put it at the top. When describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first. 9. Attention to the typography First of all make sure that your fonts are big enough. The smaller you should go is 11 points, but 12 is probably safer. Do not use capital letters all over the place, remember that your goal is to communicate a message as fast and as clearly as possible. Arial and Times are good choices. 10. Do not include no kidding information There are many people that like to include statements like Available for interview or References available upon request. If you are sending a resume to a company, it should be a given that you are available for an interview and that you will provide references if requested. Just avoid items that will make the employer think no kidding! 11. Explain the benefits of your skills Merely stating that you can do something will not catch the attention of the employer. If you manage to explain how it will benefit his company, and to connect it to tangible results, then you will greatly improve your chances. 12. Avoid negativity Do not include information that might sound negative in the eyes of the employer. This is valid both to your resume and to interviews. You dont need to include, for instance, things that you hated about your last company. 13. Achievements instead of responsibilities Resumes that include a long list of responsibilities included are plain boring, and not efficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing responsibilities, therefore, describe your professional achievements. 14. No pictures Sure, we know that you are good looking, but unless you are applying for a job where the physical traits are very important (e.g., modeling, acting and so on), and unless the employer specifically requested it, you should avoid attaching your picture to the resume. 15. Use numbers This tip is a complement to the 13th one. If you are going to describe your past professional achievements, it would be a good idea to make them as solid as possible. Numbers are your friends here. Dont merely mention that you increased the annual revenues of your division, say that you increased them by $100,000, by 78%, and so on. 16. One resume for each employer One of the most common mistakes that people make is to create a standard resume and send it to all the job openings that they can find. Sure it will save you time, but it will also greatly decrease the chances of landing an interview (so in reality it could even represent a waste of time). Tailor your resume for each employer. The same point applies to your cover letters. 17. Identify the problems of the employer A good starting point to tailor your resume for a specific employer is to identify what possible problems he might have at hand. Try to understand the market of the company you are applying for a job, and identify what kind of difficulties they might be going through. After that illustrate on your resume how you and your skills would help to solve those problems. 18. Avoid age discrimination It is illegal to discriminate people because of their age, but some employers do these considerations nonetheless. Why risk the trouble? Unless specifically requested, do not include your age on your resume. 19. You dont need to list all your work experiences If you have job experiences that you are not proud of, or that are not relevant to the current opportunity, you should just omit them. Mentioning that you used to sell hamburgers when you were 17 is probably not going to help you land that executive position. 20. Go with what you got If you never had any real working experience, just include your summer jobs or volunteer work. If you dont have a degree yet, mention the title and the estimated date for completion. As long as those points are relevant to the job in question, it does not matter if they are official or not. 21. Sell your fish Remember that you are trying to sell yourself. As long as you dont go over the edge, all the marketing efforts that you can put in your resume (in its content, design, delivery method and so on) will give you an advantage over the other candidates. 22. Dont include irrelevant information Irrelevant information such as political affiliation, religion and sexual preference will not help you. In fact it might even hurt your chances of landing an interview. Just skip it. 23. Use Mr. and Ms. if appropriate If you have a gender neutral name like Alex or Ryan make sure to include the Mr. or Ms. prefix, so that employers will not get confused about your gender. 24. No lies, please Seems like a no brainer, but you would be amused to discover the amount of people that lie in their resumes. Even small lies should be avoided. Apart from being wrong, most HR departments do background checks these days, and if you are buster it might ruin your credibility for good. 25. Keep the salary in mind The image you will create with your resume must match the salary and responsibility level that you are aiming for. 26. Analyze job ads You will find plenty of useful information on job ads. Analyze no only the ad that you will be applying for, but also those from companies on the same segment or offering related positions. You should be able to identify what profile they are looking for and how the information should be presented. 27. Get someone else to review your resume Even if you think you resume is looking kinky, it would be a good idea to get a second and third opinion about it. We usually become blind to our own mistakes or way of reasoning, so another people will be in a good position to evaluate the overall quality of your resume and make appropriate suggestions. 28. One or two pages The ideal length for a resume is a polemic subject. Most employers and recruiting specialists, however, say that it should contain one or two pages at maximum. Just keep in mind that, provided all the necessary information is there, the shorter your resume, the better. 29. Use action verbs A very common advice to job seekers is to use action verbs. But what are they? Action verbs are basically verbs that will get noticed more easily, and that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were. Examples include managed, coached, enforced and planned. Here you can find a complete list of action verbs divided by skill category. 30. Use a good printer If you are going to use a paper version of your resume, make sure to use a decent printer. Laser printers usually get the job done. Plain white paper is the preferred one as well. 31. No hobbies Unless you are 100% sure that some of your hobbies will support you candidacy, avoid mentioning them. I know you are proud of your swimming team, but share it with your friends and not with potential employers. 32. Update your resume regularly It is a good idea to update your resume on a regular basis. Add all the new information that you think is relevant, as well as courses, training programs and other academic qualifications that you might receive along the way. This is the best way to keep track of everything and to make sure that you will not end up sending an obsolete document to the employer. 33. Mention who you worked with If you have reported or worked with someone that is well known in your industry, it could be a good idea to mention it on the resume. The same thing applies to presidents and CEOs. If you reported to or worked directly with highly ranked executives, add it to the resume. 34. No scattered information Your resume must have a clear focus. If would cause a negative impression if you mentioned that one year you were studying drama, and the next you were working as an accountant. Make sure that all the information you will include will work towards a unified image. Employers like decided people. 35. Make the design flow with white space Do not jam your resume with text. Sure we said that you should make your resume as short and concise as possible, but that refers to the overall amount of information and not to how much text you can pack in a single sheet of paper. White space between the words, lines and paragraphs can improve the legibility of your resume. 36. Lists all your positions If you have worked a long time for the same company (over 10 years) it could be a good idea to list all the different positions and roles that you had during this time separately. You probably had different responsibilities and developed different skills on each role, so the employer will like to know it. 37. No jargon or slang It should be common sense, but believe me, it is not. Slang should never be present in a resume. As for technical jargon, do not assume that the employer will know what you are talking about. Even if you are sending your resume to a company in the same segment, the person who will read it for the first time might not have any technical expertise. 38. Careful with sample resume templates There are many websites that offer free resume templates. While they can help you to get an idea of what you are looking for, do not just copy and paste one of the most used ones. You certainly dont want to look just like any other candidate, do you? 39. Create an email proof formatting It is very likely that you will end up sending your resume via email to most companies. Apart from having a Word document ready to go as an attachment, you should also have a text version of your resume that does not look disfigured in the body of the email or in online forms. Attachments might get blocked by spam filters, and many people just prefer having the resume on the body of the email itself. 40. Remove your older work experiences If you have been working for 20 years or more, there is no need to have 2 pages of your resume listing all your work experiences, starting with the job at the local coffee shop at the age of 17! Most experts agree that the last 15 years of your career are enough. 41. No fancy design details Do not use a colored background, fancy fonts or images on your resume. Sure, you might think that the little flowers will cheer up the document, but other people might just throw it away at the sight. 42. No pronouns You resume should not contain the pronouns I or me. That is how we normally structure sentences, but since your resume is a document about your person, using these pronouns is actually redundant. 43. Dont forget the basics The first thing on your resume should be your name. It should be bold and with a larger font than the rest of the text. Make sure that your contact details are clearly listed. Secondly, both the name and contact details should be included on all the pages of the resume (if you have more than one). 44. Consider getting professional help If you are having a hard time to create your resume, or if you are receiving no response whatsoever from companies, you could consider hiring a professional resume writing service. There are both local and online options are available, and usually the investment will be worth the money. 45. Leverage online tools to write your resume You can find several tools online that will remove part of the burden and complexity of writing the perfect resume. Some of them will give you a starting template, others will help with the formatting and so on. You can find suggestions for 10 tools and resources on this post. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! 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Film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Film analysis - Essay Example presents this plot in pre-World War II California, with a drifter named Frank Chambers as the lover, Cora Smith-Papadakis as the scheming wife, and Nick â€Å"Greek† Papadakis as the unsuspecting husband; and a controversial Chinese motion picture directed by Zhang Yimou and Yang Fengliang with the title Ju Dou (1990), having early 1900’s rural China as its setting with Tianqing as the lover and Ju Dou as the wife of a ruthless textile mill owner Jinshan, Tianqing’s adoptive uncle. The concept of a cheating wife getting rid of the husband and living with her lover for the rest of their lives is what makes the two stories similar, however major differences with the genre, the settings, and the context as well as the cultural background and character motivations are factors that separate the two stories from each other. The settings in both stories show that the husband and wife work together to earn their living. Nick and Cora operate a roadside sandwich joint (Cain Chap. 1 p.3), and similarly Jinshan and Ju Dou work together in running a large textile mill in a rural village (Ju Dou). Another similarity with the two pairs is that both women got married to a man they do not love, and must work each day despite not being happy with their lives. What sets the two stories apart is that in the case of the western couple, Cora seems to have enough guts and confidence to assert herself and that her husband does not control her too freely, while in the eastern couple Ju Dou is entirely submissive to her husband Jinshan and always gets beatings from him nearly each night since she cannot give him a son. She is also gets verbal abuse each day due to this dilemma, even if in reality Jinshan was really the barren one due to having a good deal of wives unable to bear him any children (Ju Dou). Being unable to take any more of her husband’s beating, as well as slowly being attracted to her adopted nephew Tianqing who treats her well despite having awkward and silent

Essay 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

3 - Essay Example Siddhartha Gautama was the pioneer of Buddhism and the religion is based on psychological expressions and representations like yoga. The religion is based on several doctrines. Some of these doctrines are the four noble truths, eight-fold path, and ideas of impermanence and anatman The four noble truths are; life is characterized by suffering, suffering is caused by desire or grasping, cease grasping and follow the eight-fold path. The eight-fold path consists of right view, right intention, right speech, right actions, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. Impermanence and anatman relies on the understanding that everything fluctuates and it is dependent upon everything else. During its spread in Asia, Buddhism blended with other cultures in Korea, China and Japan. In China, Buddhists absorbed some sections of Daoism and Confucian religion. In Japan, Buddhism has several denominations like Tendai, Pure Land, Nichiren, Shingon and Zen. In Korea, Buddhism has been absorbed in other religions such as indigenous shamanism, new religions, Christianity, Confucianism and Daoism. Muslims use one sacred book called the Holy Qur’an and the Buddhists use several sacred books. Buddhists concentrate more on the psychological wellbeing than the spiritual wellbeing. In Buddhism, spirituality is attained one when dies and your actions determine what you shall gain. On the other hand, Muslims’ spirituality wellness in the world is the key to attaining eternity. What happens after death is explained differently in each case. Buddhists believe that every being will undergo cycles of transformation according to their actions into other beings. In contrast, Muslims believe that there will be paradise after death, no transformation into other beings will occur. A creator does not exist in Buddhism, existence of such means suffering